Reolink initial impression- 0/1

[user_896044068634806_896044068634806]

Just tried my first Reolink camera. Have worked quite a bit with many other brands including Axis, Hik, Dahua and some of the cheaper no name brands.

Initial impression was good. Decent picture quality, easy setup. Would rather the different stream types just say CBR or VBR but that's no big deal.

The out of the box integration to Home Assistant and Google Home is great.

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but, installed on day1. Replaced an existing Dahua that has been working 100% for nearly 3 years. PoE connector using the waterproof cover and inside a waterproof box and the camera installed the right way up....

Day 2, after some overnight rain - view all misted up. Can see the condensation on the lens. No sign of any moisture inside the waterproof box, so obviously the IP66 rating not working.

Don't think I have had this happen to me before and when it is the 1st test of a new manufacturer- very worrying.

Anyway, up the ladder, remove camera, drive to distributor.... 'cos I have nothing better to do.

[joseph_1979]

@user_896044068634806_896044068634806 This is normal if it is new. Just leave it for two days and it will not appear again. I had it on two cameras but thereafter it's gone.

[user_896044068634806_896044068634806]

@joseph_1979 I'm not sure how it could be "normal". That would imply that the camera has a level of moisture in it when it comes out of the factory (which I guess is not impossible since the factory is in Shenzhen which is very humid, but I have never seen it before on other cameras), or it somehow lets some moisture in initially and then "seals" itself. (I'm open for other suggestions as to how moisture inside the camera could be normal)

Anyway, I got the camera replaced. The new one has been up for a few days now and gone through some heavy rain with no problems so hopefully just bad luck on that one because other than that the camera is great. Loving the picture quality and the ability to pull "2 cameras" via RTSP into Frigate. The built in analytics are a little sensitive out of the box but that is not unusual, especially for edge based analytics. Finally got round to playing with the object sizes and sensitivities so hopefully will be a more realistic test now. That will be for another thread though.

[joseph_1979]

@user_896044068634806_896044068634806 Sometimes condensation inside the lens is an issue right after installation. Usually it clears up after a few days, but if it doesn't it probably means that camera has damaged seal. In that case one has to open a ticket with support and they will replace it.

[Log Cabin_893271855370409]

So far I haven't had any issues like that.

I am changing out my Wyze cams for Reolink's line of cameras. The Wyze cams All eventually have the lens seal fail and camera gets foggy view thereafter.

Funny how the seal goes out randomly sometime after their warranty is up, and same lens issues are in subsequent models to since discovery.

On my Trackmix 4k water does accumulate on glass in front of lens during rain and doesn't clear until I point it down (PTZ) but that is understandable.

Haven't had any water incursion into my Reolink cameras with rain and snow conditions.